


Spitting Mad

by junko



Series: Senbonzakura's Song [23]
Category: Bleach
Genre: M/M, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-01
Updated: 2014-07-01
Packaged: 2018-02-07 00:26:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1878123
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/junko/pseuds/junko
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Renji wakes up tangled up in sheets and Byakuya.  Now he has to decide if he wants to wreck this perfect moment by telling Byakuya about what Aunt Masama did or not....</p>
            </blockquote>





	Spitting Mad

**Author's Note:**

> This may, in fact, be the first fic in the series of this name in which Senbonzakura actually sings.

Renji woke up to the sensation of Byakuya’s breath tickling his ear. Carefully, as not to wake him, Renji turned so they could be face-to-face.

The sun was up, though only just barely. Feeble early morning rays warmed the rice paper to a dusky cream color. With the door to the balcony closed, the room felt close and cozy, especially with the two of them still so tangled up in one another on the rumpled bed. Renji loved the way the room smelled of sex and men and that haunting, spicy floral scent Byakuya always brought with him.

Byakuya breathed contentedly. So out of it, in fact, that he was completely oblivious to Renji’s arm wrapped tightly around him, pressed snug into the small of his back, and the leg entwined around his. Normally, even in his sleep, Byakuya would be inching away, muttering about hot and sweaty and too close.

Instead, he lay fast asleep, like a baby. 

Just like a boy’s, Byakuya’s mouth hung open just a tiny bit, his bottom lip jutting out a fraction in a little pout. His hair tumbled loosely across his nose, falling in front of one eye. He looked hotly disheveled, totally… ravished, even, and yet utterly peaceful. Byakuya’s face was always a tightly controlled, expressionless mask. But that was it, wasn’t it? Tight, in control. In sleep, something smoothed out, relaxed. 

Renji wasn’t sure if he’d ever seen anything more beautiful in his whole life.

A bit of a perfect moment, this, all snuggled up and sleepy together. Kind of made Renji wonder what was going to come along and ruin it.

Aunt Masama probably… Or their own fool selves….

Because, seriously, what she didn’t fuck up for them, they’d probably do to each other. 

Oblivious to Renji’s darkening thoughts, Byakuya let out a little happy huffing sigh. Renji realized he’d been absently stroking Byakuya’s silken hair. A little curl of a smile twitched on Byakuya’s lip and he sighed, “Renji.”

Snuggling in deeper, Byakuya let out another soft breath. He seemed to slip into a sounder sleep, as though happy to know Renji was there at his side.

“Then again, we do all right sometimes, don’t we, babe?” Renji asked softly, leaning in to place a kiss on Byakuya’s forehead.

“Mmm, we’d do better if you’d let me sleep,” Byakuya murmured. Flopping away from Renji’s embrace, he rolled over.

Renji spooned up close against Byakuya’s back. “Sorry, Taicho.”

“Now I’m your captain?” Byakuya asked sleepily. “A moment ago I was your ‘babe.’”

“Yeah…uh, you weren’t supposed to hear that.”

Byakuya clucked his tongue, “Then why say it out loud? Besides, I can’t say that I’ve ever had a pet name like that given to me by a lover. I could consent to ‘babe.’”

Renji chuckled into Byakuya bare shoulder. He paused to nibble lightly on it, before saying, “I can barely call you by your first name. Half the time I think I ought to be adding –sama.”

“No.” Byakuya went stiff under Renji’s arms. 

Renji started to pull them back from around Byakuya’s waist. “Oh, right, that was what Hisana—“

Byakuya surprised Renji by grabbing his wrist and pushing it back around his waist, squeezing it as though to indicate he should hold on even tighter. “It’s not that,” Byakuya said, “I want to be someone’s ‘babe.’ I want to be your ‘babe.’ Unless--” Byakuya turned around quickly then, and frowned into Renji’s face, “Unless you’ve called someone else that? It came out very easily. Perhaps this is the sort of thing you call anyone you happen to be with?”

“It did kind of slip out, didn’t it?” Renji admitted, adjusting so he could see Byakuya better. “I guess I might’ve, but no one that stands out. Maybe, Rukia? But no lovers. You know I haven’t had anyone serious besides you. I don’t think I’ve had an honest, proper date before you. Mostly it was a lot of ‘hey, how you doing?’ and ‘That was fun, see you around.’”

Byakuya’s brows knit together at that. “This is why I insist you must be properly courted.”

“Because I’m a slut?”

“No, of course not that.” Byakuya rubbed his eyes, sounding exasperated. The movement caused his elbow to rub up against Renji’s chest. Sore nipples made Renji bite his lip to keep from flinching obviously. Having finished wiping the sleep from his own eyes, Byakuya’s fingers reached out to curl into Renji’s hair. “It’s more that—“

“Don’t,” Renji said quickly, scotching away from Byakuya’s touch. “My hair is gross.”

Byakuya’s hand was frozen in mid-air and his frown deepened. His mouth worked for a moment as though trying to figure out what to say as his gaze darted around Renji’s hair and face. Finally, with a funny little squint, Byakuya said, “No more than usual, love.”

“Heh. Yeah, except. No,” Renji said, not sure how to bring this up. “Uh, see, it’s kind of got spit in it.”

Byakuya blinked. Then the hand that had been hanging there uncertainly went to cover his mouth. Muffled behind his fingers, he said, “Oh. I see. I wasn’t drooling, was I?”

Renji laughed. “You? Nah, babe, that ain’t your style.”

Byakuya’s hands left his mouth and he looked relieved. “Ah, good.” Taking a moment Byakuya adjusted the blankets around himself primly. 

Watching him made Renji’s smile widen. Drool? Not the guy who needs the sheets just so. 

Byakuya’s face went through tiny contortions, as if puzzling out something very important. Finally, he gave up and said, “I haven’t had any tea yet this morning, Renji. You’ll have to help me out. If I didn’t drool on you, how exactly did spit get in your hair?”

“Oh, uh, yeah.” Renji shifted his weight on the bed, untangling their legs. He lay on his back, glaring up at the ceiling. Crossing his arms in front of his chest, Renji tried to decide if telling Byakuya what happened would be continuing to play into Aunt Masama’s hands or if she was counting on Renji being too ashamed… or used to it. Ah hell, after last night? It would be sweet, sweet revenge. So, Renji said, “It was like this. After you and your aunt had words, she came out in the hall and gave me her opinion of me in the form of a very unladylike lougie.”

“She spat on your person?” Then, as if the thought was far more horrible, Byakuya gasped and added, “She spat in your hair?”

“I don’t know where she was aiming, but yeah, kind of on the back of my neck, but you know with my hair down and all—” Renji stopped because there was a noise coming out of Byakuya he’d never heard before. It sounded almost like high-pitched keening, though very faint. Though… maybe that was coming from Senbonzakura?

Regardless, the bed was vibrating with reiatsu.

In fact, the entire room had started trembling.

Renji was finding it hard to breathe.

“I may actually kill her.” Byakuya said simply. The reiatsu wave halted abruptly as he stood up. As Renji struggled to catch his breath, Byakuya continued, his voice utterly empty and calm. “I suppose it’s unsportsmanlike to unleash Senkei Senbonzakura on an untrained civilian, no matter how satisfying it might be.” Byakuya strode purposefully to the dresser and pulled out a yukata. It was black with a pattern of snowy owls painted on it. Renji was too focused on what Byakuya was saying to really enjoy watching him get dressed. At any rate, ‘dressing’ seemed to involve jamming clothes on in a very unceremonious, very un-Byakuya like way. “Yes, shredding her would be too quick, too kind.”

Shredding. How serious was he?

“Uh… you’re kind of ticked off, huh?”

“Quite. I’m finished playing her games.” Byakuya said. “You and I will have breakfast and then I will enjoy throwing her out into the street.”

Okay, good, Byakuya was planning on getting tea before tackling auntie—either literally or figuratively, apparently, given his mood. 

“Out on the street, huh?” Renji couldn’t help the little smile that quirked the edge of his lips. “That I’d pay to see.”

“You won’t have to. I insist that you be at my side when I confront her.”

#

 

When Eishirō brought a tea tray and took their order for breakfast, Byakuya insisted Renji be drawn a bath. Renji thought he detected a tiny note of being put out in Eishirō’s perfunctory, “As you wish, my lord.”

“Is it a hassle?” Renji wondered aloud as Eishirō slid the door shut. “Because it’s early enough, I could just dash to the sentō.”

“I’m sure Eishirō merely feels I’m being unkind,” Byakuya said, raising his voice to be heard beyond the door to where shadow of the house steward remained kneeling. “During the festivities, I’ve closed the sentō to family members only. However, I would not be ashamed to have you counted among those ranks. It’s merely that I felt you might prefer to wash your hair out quickly.”

“Uh, yeah,” Renji said, even though this conversation didn’t actually involve him, except that it was about him. He sat on the edge of the bed half-wrapped in his comfy cherry-blossom yukata. He hadn’t bothered to tie it, so it hung open nearly to his navel. “Getting Masama-spit out fast would be optimal.”

There was a tiny gasp as Eishirō scurried away.

Byakuya knelt beside a low dressing table. He was furiously jamming a fancy pearl handled comb through his hair, obviously still fuming. 

Renji swore he could hear snarls ripping out. Ain’t no way he was going to let Byakuya wreck his own hair over being mad about what was done to Renji’s. So, he got up off the bed and came to kneel behind Byakuya. Gently taking the comb from him, he said, “Meditate or something, would you? I’ll do this, or you’re going to end up as bald as Ikkaku.”

Byakuya surrendered the comb with short, frustrated breath. He picked up the bowl of tea he’d brought over from the tea tray and took a sip, while Renji began combing through his hair. “The more I think about it, Renji,” Byakuya said. “The angrier I get.”

“You do remember she spat on me, not you, right?”

“That just makes her a coward. Why didn’t you… punch her lights out?”

Renji chuckled as he worked out a small tangle. “Yeah, I wanted to, but, jeez, what do you think would’ve happened if I sent her to the hospital in front of your family. You saw how she played, all meek and mild? Only thing that would’ve made it a better show was if she was leaning on a cane. Then what am I? The mad dog of Inuzuri who beats up old noble ladies in the back hallways?”

“You showed remarkable restraint.” Byakuya took another sip of his tea. His eyes were downcast. Renji could see their reflection in the large mirror of the dressing table. Renji’s hair really did look a fright, but Byakuya looked gorgeous, though his composure was marred by an angry flush coloring his cheekbones. Perhaps feeling Renji’s eyes on him, Byakuya looked up. “I can hardly believe she actually, physically spat on you. That’s well beyond the Pale. I should harbor no more illusions that her heart can be won over.”

“Heh, you actually thought she might grow to like me?” Renji was nearly done with Byakuya hair, but he lingered, enjoying the closeness of their bodies and feeling of the silken strands running through the comb. 

“You’re very charming.” 

Renji laughed at that, which made Byakuya frown a little. 

“You are,” Byakuya insisted, but then let out a sigh. “Still I suppose it’s not possible for her appreciate you the way I do. The things I admire—your strength, your wildness, your animal grace. Those are the very aspects she finds frightening.”

Animal grace? 

Still, Renji could feel himself blushing a bit from the flood of compliments. To cover, he leaned in and kiss the ear he’d exposed with the comb, and murmured, “Come on now, cut it out. I’m going to get a big head.”

Byakuya turned and caught his lips with his own, enveloping them in a brief, but warm kiss. His fingers trailed down the short hairs of Renji’s sideburns. After pulling away slightly, his fingertips traced the edges of Renji’s surprised, open mouth. “Hmmmm, yes,” Byakuya purred, “We certainly wouldn’t want any parts of you getting swelled. That would be a tragedy.”

Whoa. Sarcastic seduction. Unexpectedly hot. 

Renji was just leaning in for a second, hopefully more prolonged kiss when Eishirō announced that the bath was ready. 

“Ah,” Byakuya said, his fingers leaving Renji’s mouth dejectedly, “Thwarted by bad timing.”

“We don’t have to be,” Renji said, making a pretend nip at Byakuya’s retreating fingers. “I could just go to the bath… dirtier.”

“Hmph,” Byakuya said, though there was a slight smile on his lips. “You think the bath would still be hot when I was through with you?”

A little thrill raced down Renji’s body. Because snotty seduction? Even hotter. “Don’t say things like that if you want me to leave.”

“I’m not sure I do.” Byakuya seemed to consider the problem a moment as he put another soft kiss on Renji’s mouth. When his hand reached up again, automatically, for a bit of Renji’s straggly locks, he frowned and let it go. “But your hair.”

“Yeah,” Renji sighed, knowing the mood would be lost if he left now. Still, it didn’t seem that Byakuya could enjoy anything they might do, knowing about the gross stuff still clinging to Renji. Renji ran a finger along the underside of Byakuya’s jaw and tipped up his chin slightly. “Okay, but I want a rain check on some spontaneous rolling around and kissing.”

Byakuya nodded seriously. Taking Renji’s hand in his, he bowed his head and kissed Renji’s fingertips in a way that made Renji’s stomach flutter. Letting Renji’s hand go, Byakuya glanced up with his usually cool gray eyes, glittering stormily: “Granted.”

Standing up with a grunt of deep, and starting to be painfully obvious regret, Renji added, “Oi, and don’t forget you still owe me a breath-stealing kiss.”

Byakuya’s face was his usual mask of indifference, but he seemed to hide a smile behind a sip of tea as he acknowledged: “I haven’t.”

#

As he dipped his head deep into the narrow, deep pool, Renji smiled to himself.

Byakuya in protective mode was very loving and kind of hot. If Renji’d known that this was how Byakuya was going to react, he would have told him about the spit last night. Though, then they would have missed out on Byakuya’s big kidō fantasy, and that would’ve been a bummer. Because, finally, they’d found a use for kidō that Renji could get into. In fact, he wondered what it would feel like to have one of those electric tendrils actually inside—

A polite knock and Eishirō’s voice behind the closed door: “I’ve brought your laundered uniform, Lieutenant.”

Renji groaned, removing his fingers from where they’d started heading. “Ah, man, Eishirō, your timing today….”

Eishirō sniffed. “Is as impeccable as usual, I’m sure. The master has sent me with shampoo. May I come in?”

Shampoo? The master’s shampoo? “Like, as in Byakuya’s shampoo?”

Renji could almost hear the smirk from beyond the door, “The very same.”

“For gods’ sake, man, get in here!" Renji shouted, already pulling himself up out of the bath. "Do you know how long I’ve waited to get my hands on that stuff?”

#

It disappointed Renji a little that his hair hadn’t instantly transformed into silky, perfectly managed strands, but it smelled amazing. In fact, the scent was so good that it was kind of distracting. Just catching the odor on himself was turning Renji on. 

Hard.

Renji headed back to the master suite fully dressed in his uniform. Around his finger, he twirled a hair tie. He’d left his hair down because he knew Byakuya preferred it that way. But, Renji swore that if this shampoo gave him an honest to gods hard-on, he was going to have to tie it back.

Who knew there was a down side to finally having Byakuya’s shampoo?

At the door, Renji paused. He could hear voices. Byakuya was talking to someone… Renji pressed his ear closer to the door when he heard a feminine laugh.

Oh.

He knew that laugh. 

Rukia.

“I’m coming in,” Renji announced. With her there, Renji decided he’d better get his hair back. So, he elbowed the door open as he pulled it into his usual bushy topknot. The hair tie stuck in his mouth.

Rukia turned to wave him in. She and Byakuya were sitting near the sunken fire pit around the tea tray Eishirō had brought earlier. Rukia was still in a sleeping yukata--a cozy looking one, purple, and covered in white cartoon bunnies.

Byakuya had partially dressed. He was without his haori or the kenseikan, though, and his feet were bare of even tabi. The way he held his teacup and the rigidity of his shoulders made Renji realize that it had not been part of the plan to have Rukia drop by. The captain was just as disappointed as Renji was to have Rukia between them. It was just as obvious to Renji that Byakuya was making the best of it. Not only would it be awkward and impolite to tell her to scram because they wanted to fuck like those rabbits she was so fond of, but also because… well, because that’d be like throwing Ichigo in her face right now.

Finishing tying back his hair, Renji sat down beside Rukia. “Heya,” he said, giving her a nudge on the knee with his own. “You making sure your brother is getting enough tea?”

“There is never enough tea some mornings, Renji,” Byakuya said drily, glancing at the remains in his bowl. 

Renji smiled, reaching for the pot to fill his cup for him. “Yeah, this is going to be one of those for sure. You got a plan of attack figured out yet?”

“A plan of attack for what?” Rukia asked.

Renji glanced at Byakuya. There was a slight shake of his head that Renji read as both ‘no I didn’t’ and ‘this is our business not hers.’ So, he covered with, “Oh, just Division stuff, you know.”

With the way Rukia glanced between the two of them, she knew it was more than that. Renji tried to give her the look that said he’d tell her all about it later, but she seemed far more hurt by Byakuya’s closed off expression. 

This was a part of their relationship Renji didn’t get. Like, how did Byakuya ever expect to be close to Rukia, if all the two of them ever did was exchange innocuous pleasantries?

Maybe he didn’t expect that.

Maybe that wasn’t how nobles did sibling stuff. “Anyways,” Renji said, trying to shake off his mood and dispel the growing tense silence at the same time, “I should probably apologize for acting like such a idiot last night. I can’t believe I let your aunt push my buttons like that. I should’ve played that smarter.” At Rukia’s widening eyes, he added a little laugh and said, “I swear I’m usually much better socialized. I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your family.”

“Oh, Renji, you have nothing to be embarrassed about,” Rukia said quickly, her hand clutching at the fabric of his hakama. Then her face crumpled into a scowl. “Aunt Masama is such a… toad.” Renji could tell that if Byakuya weren’t there Rukia would have said something much cruder. “Did she really think she could find anyone in this household who would have obeyed an order to strip you? Do you think Eishirō would have let anyone from any other house raise a hand to you? Not without nii-sama’s say so, and that wasn’t going to happen in a million years.”

Renji hadn’t thought of that. Now he kind of wished she’d tried. 

“Exactly so,” Byakuya agreed around another sip of tea. “Masama’s power is eroding on many fronts. But, the longer she stays at the estate, the more she loses control of her own staff as they become subsumed into my own. She would have had no one to call on to do her bidding. Not one soul.” Byakuya took another thoughtful sip, and then added, “Unless, of course, she wanted to try to have her ladies in waiting divest you of your clothing.”

Rukia twittered a little at the image that presented. “Now that might be a bit easier, depending on how pretty they were.”

“Oi,” Renji said. Then, shrugged, “Okay, accurate.”

“Oh? You’d throw off your clothing for a bevy of good-looking women?” Byakuya asked, an eyebrow arching sharply.

“Oh-oh, Renji, you’re in trouble!” Rukia teased.

“Yeah, but they’d have to be better looking than you,” Renji said with a gesture at Byakuya, adding, “And that’s just not humanly possible.”

“Oooooh, good save,” Rukia clapped.

“Indeed,” Byakuya agreed, keeping a perfect mask of emotionlessness. “But I may have to keep you close at hand if I find myself suddenly surrounded by attractive people.”

Renji really wanted to say something about that studded collar, but Rukia said, “Oh, nii-sama’s got your number, Renji. He changed it to people, because you’d be just as helpless to lords in waiting.”

“Lords in waiting?” Renji asked. “They have those? That’s a thing?”

“Technically, I have those,” Byakuya said. “Though I rarely call on them. I suppose they’re rather cross at me for that.”

“Yeah, I’m sure they’d rather be draped over your arms at boring royal functions than running their estates,” Rukia joked. 

“True,” Byakuya nodded. “It’s not quite the same with the men, is it?”

Renji thought it all sounded really weird, but he just poured himself a cup of tea, as Rukia and Byakuya continued to discuss the merits of each of Byakuya’s ceremonial hangers-on. Rukia seemed to have met quite a few and even remembered one of them fondly.

Eishirō arrived with breakfast just as Byakuya said, “Lord Imamura is as yet unmarried, I believe. Perhaps I should call him down from the country to keep you company.”

Oh. No, Byakuya. Just no. Too soon!

Even Eishirō cringed just a little.

Rukia rolled with it nicely. “That’s kind of you, nii-sama. But, I’d prefer to get back to work as soon as possible. I’ve been away too long.”

“Yes, of course,” Byakuya said. Then, after a moment, he clucked his tongue at himself and said, “I’m sorry. Somehow I channeled horrible Aunt Masama there for a moment. Clearly, I need more tea.”

They all laughed at that. Renji wanted to kiss him, but instead he leaned in close to Byakuya and whispered, “Good save, babe. Good save.”

**Author's Note:**

> I know some of you are anxious to get back to the meatier issues between these two, but they need the good times to make all that worth it too. As Renji says, I'm sure something will come along to mess things up soon enough!
> 
> Also, I need to thank more than one person this time! 
> 
> I must, of course, continue to thank Josey for her cheerleading and typo-spotting and general wonderful beta-reading. I really would be worse off without her constant support and encouragement. But I should also thank slyrherinlaurel for re-reading much of my soap and leaving such thoughtful comments that I ended re-reading along with and remembering much of what I'd forgotten. Also, similarly a shout out has to go to SleepyDF for the same, and specifically, for reminding me of Renji's original goal (way back in Chasing Demons): to get laid and get his hands on the good shampoo!
> 
> Oh, and thanks to *all of you* who continue to read and kudo and comment! It keeps me going. It really does. Thank you all.


End file.
